Gov. Deval Patrick came to the defense of his number two after it was revealed Thursday that the Office of Campaign and Political Finance had found “evidence” to warrant an investigation by the attorney general into whether Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, his campaign committee and disgraced former Chelsea Housing Authority Director Michael McLaughlin violated campaign finance law.

“I'm aware that the allegations around McLaughlin were referred to the ethics folks by the lieutenant governor, that they did an investigation, and that they thought there was enough there that the attorney general ought to look at it as well, and she has been doing that since at least the summertime,” Patrick told reporters on his way out of his Statehouse office.

“They are investigating the charges of McLaughlin raising money inappropriately, and that is exactly what they should be doing. And I trust the lieutenant governor and his account of what happened, and didn't happen, and I'm going to let the jobs of the attorney general and other investigators get done and not pursue or succumb to insinuation.”

About a year ago, Murray asked the OCPF to investigate any fundraising that McLaughlin had done on his behalf, an activity prohibited because McLaughlin was a federal employee. In a letter from Sept. 19 released Thursday, Office of Campaign and Political Finance Director Michael Sullivan informed Attorney General Martha Coakley that his office had concluded, “The evidence also indicates that McLaughlin, Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray and the Citizens Committee to Elect Tim Murray did not comply with” campaign finance laws governing the solicitation or receipt of contributions.

Patrick tried to downplay any suggestion that the letter contained new or more forceful allegations against Murray.

“Everybody's aware of that. It's been news since the summer,” the governor said.

Patrick said he trusted Murray, who has insisted he knew nothing of McLaughlin's alleged fundraising activities on his behalf, and asked for the probe in order to return any contributions that might have been collected improperly. “He's answered all of my questions, and answered all of yours,” Patrick said.

Murray's spokesman Scott Ferson released a statement Thursday night emphasizing Murray's cooperation with state and federal investigations of McLaughlin, and the fact that Murray was the one who asked for the OCPF review.

“The Murray Committee never authorized Michael McLaughlin to do any fundraising on its behalf. Neither the media nor any regulatory agency has ever identified any fact indicating that the Murray Committee authorized McLaughlin to engage in this activity. We continue to fully cooperate with any authorities looking into this matter,” Ferson said in the statement.

Ferson continued, “OCPF has not made a determination that the Murray Committee violated campaign finance laws. Reports that there are charges are incorrect.”

McLaughlin was charged Wednesday by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz in federal district court with lying about his salary on official housing authority reports submitted to the state. Coakley said Thursday her investigation in the matters contained in the OCPF report were ongoing.

Asked whether the investigation might become a distraction, Patrick said, “Try as you might, it's not going to be.”

Murray, who has retained former U.S. Attorney Donald Stern, already has been examined under oath by investigators in the McLaughlin case, and he has spent $78,659 on legal bills from his campaign funds.

After ramping up fundraising last year and expressing serious interest in running for governor in 2014, Murray announced last week that he would not try to succeed Gov. Deval L. Patrick, who is not seeking re-election. Murray said family considerations drove his decision not to run for governor.

McLaughlin resigned after it was revealed that he lied about his compensation in the annual fiscal budgets of the Chelsea Housing Authority from 2008 to 2011, and submitted those records to the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.

McLaughlin's fundraising ties to Murray have been called into question. The Boston Globe reported extensively about McLaughlin's alleged fundraising for Murray and their exchange of nearly 200 phone calls with him in 2010 and 2011.

In January 2011, Murray described himself as “outraged and frustrated by Mr. McLaughlin's actions” and said he felt “misled.” Murray also said, “I never asked him, nor am I aware of anybody in my fundraising campaign, my political campaign staff or my fundraising staff asking him to raise money or soliciting things, so when we read these anonymous allegations it's concerning.” He said he asked OCPF to investigate “because if people were pressured or solicited to give we want to know who that is and return dollars.”

At the time, Murray also said, “I wish I had known more, maybe asked more, but as candidates for elected office and elected officials people volunteer, they offer to help and you take people at face value.”

Murray's call on OCPF to look into the situation followed a Boston Globe report, based on both named and unnamed sources, including sources the newspaper described as more than two dozen politicians, housing authority employees, and Murray campaign workers.

The article detailed what appeared to be a close political relationship between Murray and McLaughlin and suggested that McLaughlin helped organize fundraisers for Murray's campaign for lieutenant governor, and may have coerced employees from the Chelsea Housing Authority to donate to Murray.

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